The dollar that disappeared.

[Yoshi]

-Three americans finds a hotel to spend the night.
-The rooms are $10 a piece.
-The piccolo carries their suitcases to each room and the americans, of course, gives the piccolo totally $30.
-The piccolo takes the money to the reception.
-The receptionist tells the piccolo that the americans will get a discount and only have to pay $25.
-The piccolo takes the $5 back to the americans but on the way he decides to give back only $1 to each one and keep $2 to himself.
-The question is: If the americans payed $9 each and the piccolo got $2, which totally makes $29 , where did one dollar disappear?

[LMan]

ARGH! You trickser.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The dollar did not disappear. At the end, the americans payed 9$ each, the total is 27$ from which the piccolo got his 2$, and the receptionist 25$. Adding the 2$ to the 27$, as sugested, makes no logical sense.

[_Traxer_]

This is not correct =)

every of the three americans pays 25 $ / 3 = 8,3333333333

then every one of them gets back 1 $ = 9,333333333

and this by 3 = 9,33333333 * 3 = 28 $

The 1 dollar that seems to disapeer disapears by a rounding error.

[LMan]

Nononononononono.

Here's the cashflow:

1. Beginning
Americans: 30$
Piccolo: 0$
Receptionist: 0$
= 30$

2. Paying the 3x10 $
Americans: 0$
Piccolo: 30$
Receptionist: 0$
= 30$

3. Receptionist keeps 25$
Americans: 0$
Piccolo: 5$
Receptionist: 25$
= 30$

4. Piccolo returns 3x1$
Americans: 3$
Piccolo: 2$
Receptionist: 25$
= 30$

It's always 30$.

Now the challenge suggest the following situation:
Americans: 27$
Piccolo: 2$
Receptionist: 0$
= 29$
...which is of course nonsense.

[Yoshi]

LMan is right.
The three americans didnt give the $2 to the piccolo, the hotel did.